Just dance
by Phoebe Laura Halliwell
Summary: After 'Midnight' the Doctor picks up Jethro as a companion. Donna wonders why. Arthur/Merlin, Jethro/?, a tiny hint of Master/Doctor.


Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin, nor Doctor Who. BBC owns them. Lucky them.  
Pairing: Arthur/Merlin, slight Master/Doctor.  
Warning: Crossover, SLASH.  
Inspired by a great video I saw. Ask me in PM if you're interested  
If there's any problem with my english, please let me know... I'm Hungarian. 

Summary: After 'Midnight' the Doctor picks up Jethro as a companion… Donna wonders why.

When the Doctor got off from the plane, Donna's first question was, that why is he so pale.  
Second, why is he's being followed by a teen.  
The Doctor only the answered the first one, he told her what happened, and then presented her to the boy. This, and the boy's eyes were enough for Donna disturbed to find out that Jethro himself does not understand why was he dragged along. They heard the loudspeaker that his parents were looking for him.  
Jethro did not look back, just followed them to the TARDIS.  
After a couple of thays, they could could normally talk to him, and after a few more travels they could hear his laugh.  
They were in England, at one random king's court. And there was a tournament. By that time there were at planets, at times, what the future-boy never heard of before, but this was something different. He laughed, clapped, whistled with the crowd.  
While he wasn't paying attention to them, Donna looked up at the Doctor.  
„Why is he with us?"  
The timelord looked down at his friend.  
„Does he bother you?"  
„No. I just want to know why. And I think the future-boy does as well."  
The ageless man wrapped himself in silence, as he looked down at the celebrating boy.  
„What do you think of reincarnation, Donna?"  
The red-haired woman shook her head.  
„ Stupid clinging to a hope that there is no end ... because it isn't reaé, right? Right, Doctor?"  
The man smiled, and did not turn away his eyes from Jethro.  
„True, it's extremely rare. And now is the first time that I see the result with my own eyes. It's really rare, when someone reincarnates, and never alone.  
Donna also looked at the boy for a few minutes in silence.  
„Did you know him... in his previous life?"  
„Only briefly. He was one of the wisest man who ever lived."  
Donna laughed.  
„This kid? Hard to believe, Doctor."  
The timelord smiled at the woman.  
„You travel with me, and you still doubt that appearances deceive?  
Donna shook her head, smiling.  
„Just strange..."  
„Of course it is. But he was."  
„Who was he? Have I ever heard about him?"  
„Oh, surely you've heard. But if I told you, you wouldn't believe me."  
„Come on, spaceman, you started it, you should finish it! Tell me who he was!"  
The Doctor was still smiling, he leaned close to Donna, and whispered a name to her ears, whereupon the woman's eyes widened.  
„It's impossible! He is ... he is just a legend! Just a fairy tale!"  
„Oh, Donna ..." The timelord was still smiling, grasping her hands. „We all are."

That night Jethro was dreaming. Confusing dreams about similar but still different tournaments, and an insufferable blonde prince with blue eyes. About an annoying prince, who were ordering him around, he had to dress him, and usually made him work as hard as he could. About a beautiful blonde prince, with soft lips on his own, a soft voice, which could gently whisper, that…

The next day Jethro walked down to the consol room rather embarrassed, and Donna had to warn him, that he took up his shirt inside out, and the Doctor knew he was ont he right track.

„Where is our wizard?„  
Donna asked with a broken voice, from a running Doctor, after they saw the BAD WOLF sign everywhere. She almost felt herself guilty, that she hadn't remembered the boy earlier, but the Doctor hit his own forehead as well, jumped out from the Tardis, and started to look for the boy. They had to go back to Earth, because if Rose was the woman who helped Donna, and it was most likely the truth, then…  
„Aaaand, it's far from certain that he's a wizard. He was, in his previous life, but we can't be sure, whether the magis also occurs in this body of his... Jethro!  
The boy looked up at their pale faces, and jumped up immediately, understanding that they had to hurry.

Jethro was fantastic against the Daleks, really brilliant. He was the youngest of the current Doctors companions, and even againist the odds, he fought alongside the elder ones, piloted the Tardis, never stopping.  
Later, when it was again the three of them int he Tardis, him, the Doctor, and the DoctorDonna, he only stopped there.  
Donna laughed, drawing on the console, babbling about where should they go, and then looked at Jethro with shining eyes..  
„We could tell him, Doctor, I think it's time for him to know. So far, I did not understand either, but now I get it! We could tell him, don't you think?  
„Yes, yes, we can tell." The Doctor's voice was quiet, and it was really that made Jethro worry.  
But he didn't ask them about this.  
„Tell me what…?"  
„We were looking for someone. Jethro, someone for you. Surely, you have already realised. Someone is missing. Well, we will find this someone for you. You're back, _Merlin,_ so Arthur must have came back as well. A coin has two sides, the two sides, which forms a whole, we will find Arthur Arnold, Armour, Ar ... Amour ...  
Donna doubled, clasping her head.  
And Jethro just helplessly watch what happened after this.

„Why did she called me Merlin?"  
This was the first question, which was said between the two, having silently walked into the Tardis. The timelord looked at him with pained eyes.  
„I think you know."  
Maybe, he did. He hesitated, lifting up his hands, whispering some Latin words, what he vaguely remembered from his dreams, and between the two hands, a small ball of light appeared. The Doctor smiled, and Jethro shook his head, trembling.  
„So ... I'm no longer Jethro?"  
„Yes, yes, damn, of course, you are Jethro." The Doctor ran to his companion, bringing his hands together, so the ball of light disappeared. „Merlin is the past. A memory. You are Jethro. Don't let he past change you. If you want to, I can take you home right now and we won't search anymore."  
Jethro shook his head.  
„She was right ... Donna was. Has always been something missing. And I still do not know exactly what it is. Who is this Arthur, who she mentioned… Of course, I know the legend, but ... I do not know _what was he like._"  
„An annoying prat."  
Jethro looked up at the Doctor, who let go of his hands, scratching his head.  
„I knew them briefly, him and Merlin. Bravely confess, I have no idea how Merlin had the patience for him. Or how he became a king, as he was. Oh well, I can understand that one, but putting up with him every day… let's just say, he wasn't an easy person.  
Few minutes of silence, and the Doctor turned back to the Tardis' console.  
„Well? Should we continue looking for him?"  
Jethro nodded.  
And he was grateful that the Doctor did not said that „I knew you".

Lots of travels, countless planets and civilizations, saved lives, and still nothing, Jethro has already begun to give up hope.  
„No, no, no, Jethro! Reincarnation never happens to lone souls. Your soul has been reborn, so your soulmate's as well. Frequent problem with reincarnation, that the souls are reborn in vain, different times, different planets, so they just keep circling, not finding each other, with the feeling that something is missing. But fortunately…" Here he patted the Tardis. „We have this nifty little machine. But the problem still is that we do not know where to look."  
He was thinking, looking at the machine, then slapped his forehead.  
„Oh, why hadn't I thought of this earlier... Jethro, you try to start it. Just at a random destination."  
When the boy looked surprised, he grabbed his wrist and led him to the controls.  
„This, this ... and that over there. Just a random start. Telepathic, told you that, right? And if you start it ... maybe it will take you where you really want to go.  
Jethro reached for the controllers with trembling hands.

21. century. More than six hundred years before, Jethro was born. Of course, they had no idea that it was the correct place or not, so they walked the streets aimlessly.  
Los Angeles.  
„Have you ever been here, Jethro?"  
The boy shook his head. He had heard about this, that there were such a city, but have never been here before. They mainly travelled to the east coast with the Doctor.  
He did not want to remember the Old West..  
„How about a party?"

He glanced up at the Doctor, surprised, and the timelord pointed at a nighclub. Just a flash of the psychic paper, and they were inside.  
Thundering music, flashing lights, and they slid ever deeper.  
And then he saw the boy at the bar.  
The Doctor sensed that Jethro froze, and gently pushed him forward. He could not hear what did he say, just felt a boost of encouragement on his back.  
Jethro walked through the crowd, pausing beside the blond boy, sitting down.  
He looked back at him.

Jethro had no idea how they ended up in the restroom, in one of the booth, him pressed to the closed door, Andrew (because it was his name, as he found out… when…? Shortly before) pressed to his body, his lips on each other, hands everywhere,w orking to reveal at least some bare skin on themselves. As he run his hand through the blond hair, he felt a slight alcohol taste on his lips – it would have been easy to blame the another boy's behavior on this, but when he let go of his lips and looked into Andrew's eyes, he saw that he wasn't drunk - just desire flamed in those blue eyes.

He did not know why he held his hand, and led him out of the club, straight to the Tardis. And he absolutely didn't know why the other one followed him. He took out the key from his pocket, opened the door, letting Andrew in. The Doctor wasn't back yet, so they waited.  
„ So ... Jethro? I understood it right? It was pretty noisy in there.  
„Yes."  
„Are you some sort of alien or what? This is ... uh, bigger on the inside."  
Well, it's an unusual topic for two young men, after they just had sex in a restroom..  
Which, by the way, was a female restroom. Were also a couple of bags thrown at their heads then they came out.  
All right, they did not walk out from the club holding hands, they were chased out by the guards.  
Another matter.  
„No… This is not mine. I'm just a companion."  
Silence, and Andrew blew out the air.  
„Who are you, Jethro?"  
The futureboy (God, since when he wasn't called like that! Donna, poor Donna could not be here when they found him...) sighed, walked to the blond, looking in his eyes.  
„I wish I knew."

Two hours later, when the Doctor actually escaped from the club, running from three women, who for some strange reason, thrown their panties after him, he stumbled into the Tardis, he found the two boys in a deep sleep. Andrew on the floor, Jethro in his lap, the blonde boy's arm protectively over the other one in his lap. The Doctor smiled for a moment and maybe an old picture slid in front of his eyes. When he sat in someones lap, seeking protection in an arms of an other boy, back at his home planet ...  
He shook his head.  
Those days are gone, long time ago.  
Now, he should help these poor souls now, that they found each other, they shouldn't stray away from each other again.

„Hellloooo, I'm the Doctor, and you?"  
The two boys woke up at the sound of the Tardis staring, first looked up at grinning man in suit, then at each other - well, it wasn't a dream.  
„Andrew."  
„Andrew, what a great name. Andrew Lloyd Webber, for example. He wrote great stories, I gave the inspiration for some of them. Occurs.  
The blonde looked from one to another, really confused, the Doctor's grin was tamed to a smile.  
„Come on" He clicked one ont he machine, and Jethro, who had a lot of journeys already, felt that they stopped. „Maybe what I'll show you now will help revisiting the things a bit. Just put up these."  
He gave two keys for them, with… something attached to their back.  
Perception-filter, as the Doctor explained.  
Nobody will notice them, unless they do something silly.  
The Doctor led them to a huge castle , which stood proudly not so far away from them, and Jethro could not escape the feeling that he know, he had already seen this place…  
„Camelot ..." Andrew whispered.  
The Doctor smiled.  
„Do you remember?"  
„The name just… popped into my head. But Camelot is just a legend. I mean ... I can not be ."  
The timelord smiled.  
„As my machine isn't real either, which travels in space and time, and the boy beside you isn't from the 27. century, right? Allons-y.  
They looked at each other and followed the man into the castle.

Tournament was, once again, and Jethro had a strong feeling of déja faces, the clothes, everything was so familiar – he looked up at Andrew, whose eyes flashed from place to place as well. Maybe he felt it too.  
Apparently a knight wonm removed his helmet… and they almost cried out in surprise, but their mouths were covered by the Doctor's hands.  
„Ssshhh. Quiet. If you make noises, you might draw attention to ourselves, and it terminates the disguise." He whispered, between the two, and he looked at the champion too. „Let me introduce you to…... oh, do I need to? He's Arthur Pendragon, right now the crown prince of Camelot. Heir to the throne."  
He was Andrew's splitting image. Same blonde hair, blue eyes, which held the fire from the fight right now, every single feature... or Andrew was just like Arthur?  
„And coming from the side ... servant of Arthur, Merlin. Officially servant, maybe friend, but ... you know that there's more to it. right?"  
He slowly let go of the two boys, as looked at the servant (just like Jethro ... or Jethro was like him) who took away the helm from the prince's hands. It hasn't escaped their attention that their eyes met for a few long – and then Merlin smiled proudly, and Arthur turned to the crowd again.  
But it was as if his eyes had shone a little more.

The Doctor led them out from the castle, back to the Tardis. Not much later, they lyed next to each other, in a bedroom, their hands clasped, looked at ceiling, fully clothes – they didn't even took down their shoes.  
„What do you think?" Andrew asked quietly.  
Jethro did not respond for a moment.  
„That now I'm not missing anything."  
„We hardly know each other.  
„So?"  
„Jethro..."  
„What do _you_ think, Andrew?"  
He turned his head, so did the blonde, and looked at each other.  
„That this is crazy."  
Jethro turned again to the ceiling as a pain shot through his heart ... until Andrew's face came into his vision.  
„But it seems I'm crazy."  
And he kissed him.

_The door opened, and Merlin entered Arthur's room._ _The prince's shoulder injured, but at least he lived._ _And he will remain alive and well._  
_„We__ need to talk._"  
_Arthur exhaled._  
_„You__ still do not understand?_ _We are talking when I tell so."_  
_„__Not today._"  
_„__Merlin, sometimes I wonder that do you know who I am._"  
_„__Oh, I know very well._"  
_Arthur nodded, and Merlinstepped closer._  
_„You're a prat. A royal one."  
__The prince sighed, closing his eyes._  
_„You never change right, Merlin?"  
__The servant smiled._  
_„__You'd get bored._ _Promise me that my successor won't be some kind of bootlicker.  
__„M__erlin, if this is your way to quit your job…"  
__„__ No._ _I'm happy serving you… until the day I die.  
__He stepped to Arthur, his hands grasped the prince's face, his lips pressed desperately for his own._ _He closed his eyes, not to see the startled look ont he other's face, and felt a tear roll down his cheeks._  
_Then he pushed __himself away from Arthur, and ran out of the room, slamming the door behind him._

_He didn't think that he'd survive, really, he didn't._ _But he only started to consider the consequences of his actions, when Arthur shook him up from his dream.  
„__Wake up, idiot._"  
_„__What is ... hum ...?_"  
_He opened his eyes to closely look into the eyes of the prince._  
_„__We need to talk, Merlin._"  
_Oops._ _Merlin cleared his throat and sat up when Arthur would allow._ _In the moonlight he saw how serious the other one was.  
__„__What was that?_ _Earlier, in my room?_"  
_Of course, could say stupid things, but the question's silly nature made him roll his eyes.  
„That, sire, was a kiss._  
_Now it was __Arthur's time to roll his eyes.._  
_„__No, Merlin it wasn't._ _You really call that a kiss?_ _You pressed your mouth to mine, a kiss is much more."  
__Merlin __tilted his head, as he did not understand, what was the prince talking about.._  
_„__So ...?_"  
_„__So._"  
_Arthur leaped forward at this moment, like a cat, pushing Merlin back at the bed, lips crashing at Merlin._ _Not only the lips, face, the neck, everywhere._  
_A few hours later, Merlin said, chuckling._  
_„__Correct me if I'm wrong, sire, but that was no kiss either."_  
_„S__hut up, Merlin."  
_

_He rushed into Arthurs tent, he looked up at him, while putting himself in the armor._ _Merlin just gasped for air, staring at Arthur with glowing eyes.._  
_„__Return of the prodigal servant to his master, to help me with my armor?"  
__„__In your dreams, prat."_  
_Arthur looked up, shaking his head._  
_„You always suprise me with your behaviour."  
„__Oh yeah?_ _Then this will be surprising as well."  
__He__ swung forward pushing Arthur to a column, catching the boy's lips with his, kissing him roughly__._ _Arthur was shocked at first and then Merlin felt that the two strong arms embraced his waist, pulling him closer, as the spell broke, and Arthur returned his kiss._

„ _Well at least we know that I am your one true love."_  
_Arthur glared at Merlin, who walked beside him grinning widely.  
„What makes you think that?"  
__„The tent."  
Arthur stopped, turning to the servant, with glowing eyes._  
_„__Merlin ..." He growled, and the boy only raised his hands._  
_„__ Let me guess._ _Mention it again, and you kill me."_  
_„__Exactly" The prince patted him ont he shoulder."Maybe you're nota s stupid as you look."._

_Merlin stood silently next to Arthur helping him with his clothes, but the prin… king protested. In vain.  
__„__You're not a servant anymore, Merlin._"  
_„Old habits die hard._ _But I always thought I would help you at your wedding._"  
_Merlin's usual smile, but there was some sadness in his eyes, which Arthur could never endure._  
_„__Merlin, I..._"  
_„__Do not" The warlock interrupted, looking into Arthur's eyes.__ „ It's_ o_kay._ _In this respect, we never had our future, right?_ _I'm not female, I cannot give a heir to you."_  
_Arthur caught his former servant, and pulled him to a desperate kiss, but even after it he couldn't let go of Merlin, his forehead resting against his forehead._  
_„__Gwen ... Gwen knows._ _About us. He likes Lancelot more than me, and… and…"_  
_Merlin did not want to hear more, and kissed him again - after all ... something will happen._

_Smiled sadly at Morgana, in the forest, leaning to a tree.._  
_„__This is it, huh?_"  
_The witch smiled, with a cruel smile._  
_„__Well-well._ _You also learned to See._ _And you still came."_  
_Merlin bowed his head._ _Yes, he came__._ _He knew how it will end. __He knew that he will lose here - and he knew what will happen with Arthur because of this._  
_„__Camelot will fall."._  
_„__Exactly._ _And you still came__._ _Following the steps of destiny, as always, right, Merlin?_"  
_The wizard looked up, smiling, his eyes flared up with golden light._  
_His road will and here, but he won't make Morgana's job easy__._  
_„Because I know that there is a future after the fall of Camelot._" 

_Arthur felt his body being placed in the boat, just stared up at the cloudy sky, hearing the cry, and the sense that there are his faithful knights._  
_„__Lancelot…"  
__„__The man came alongside, leaning toward him."_  
_„__Do not speak, your highness."_  
_„__Watch out for Gwen, okay?_"  
_He held out his hand, squeezing the shoulder of his loyal knight, who nodded in tears, and Arthur smiled weakly._ _It was a mistake to chase them away._  
_He felt that the boat started, and he closed his eyes._  
_„__Is that you, Freya?_"  
_A few seconds of silence.  
__„__Yes._"  
_„Will I__ see Merlin?_"  
„_Sure._"

The Doctor put them out int he 21. century, in Andrew's time. The blonde has offered to go era of Jethro, but he did not want to. Still not been able to go back to his parents, after all, what happened in Midnight.  
Moreover, he knew that in Andrew's life, his other friends were with him, and he did not have any at home. And he belonged to Andrew's side.  
The Doctor paused a few steps from the Tardis, Jethro stopped, let go of Andrew's hand, turned and hugged the timelord.  
„Thank you."  
„Don't mention it." The Doctor smiled, patting the boy's shoulder.  
Jethro stepped back and looked at the timelord. It was unnecessary to say anything - they both knew that their journey ended there.  
„Everything will be alright... with you?"  
The timelord smiled.  
„Of course. Go ahead."  
Andrew also stepped forward, squeezing the Doctor's hand, gratefully... then he watched the two boys disappear from the streets, holding hands.  
He didn't even notice, that he smiled doing so.

Months went by, Andrew's friends were thoroughly surprised. Several times in a row. Starting from that they thought Andrew to be totally straight, and still, he introduced a totally strange, black-haired boy had never seen before, as his new lover. Continuing with a couple of weeks they moved in together. And they were still a couple. However, they soon started to like Jethro with his sillyness and all.  
And magic tricks were great.  
One night they were walking home from a party, when they were attacked.  
Armed bandits demanded money, the usual - Andrew raised an arm protectively in front of Jethro, the bandits laughed and baked tasteless jokes at the two boy.  
Andrew wearily threw his wallet, and Jethro his watch – the kid himself never carried money, a bad habit, he picked it up during his time with the Doctor - but the bandits did not want to leave.  
But then when the soldiers who flooded the street threw them to the ground, they did not _been able to_ leave.  
The two young watched jaw-dropped, as a female soldier walked forward, picking up valuables from the ground, and handed them back to the boys.  
„Take these, and hurry home. Not a safe neighborhood."  
„But… don't you need these as evidence?"  
The woman smiled at Andrew's questions.  
„They won't want lawyers, trust me."  
„What have they done? I mean ... other than this." Jethro asked.  
The woman only shrugged.  
„Nothing. Csak I was only indebted to a common friend of ours. He asked me to help you. Now leave."  
The two boys took the advice, hurried out to the street, and then Andrew came to a halt.  
„Jethro…"  
The boy looked at the direction where Andrew pointed, and in one corner, a familiar, long, brown coated figure stood. He started tor un towards him, and he heard that Andrew followed him, but the Doctor walked out of their sight.  
By the time they arrived, he was nowhere to be seen.  
They stood silently for a moment, then Andrew took the hand of the futureboy.  
„Come on. I'm tired, let's go home, and sleep."  
Jethro followed, but he grinned widely.  
„'Sleep'? I think 'Molest you wherever I can' would be the correct term."  
„Shut up, Jethro."


End file.
